The Haunting Past
by RekkaShinen1
Summary: [Hiei Kurama Yusuke and Shizuru Posted] The past comes back to haunt the main characters' dreams. What secrets could they be hiding about their childhoods?
1. Hiei: My Destiny

The Haunting Past  
  
*Hey everyone. This will be a series of short stories about each character's past and childhood. Some of it may be fiction like the names but overall the story is quite accurate. I've done my homework....^_^ Ok, enjoy and please review!  
  
*Chapter 1 - Hiei: My Destiny*  
  
The brash laughter of the drunken thieves rose up to Hiei's ears. He shuddered in disgust; for about a year, he had lived and traveled with a gang of thieves. Worthless as they were, Nakameji, the leader, did teach him how to handle a katana and useful tricks in stealing.  
  
Suddenly loud footsteps broke the short silence. "Hiei....why the hell are you here?" The tallest demon of the thieves group towered over the young Hiei. He bent down so he was at the same height as the fire youkai. "Where have you been?!" Nakameji roared in Hiei's face, his foul breath sickening him.  
  
"Ugh....where I go is none of your business for that matter!" Hiei shoved Nakameji away from him. The leader stood up, trying to look all powerful and mighty. He rammed his fist into the young demon's torso. Hiei fell over, coughing and panting for breath. Nakameji laughed cruelly and his followers joined in, delighting in the pain and misery of the demon child.   
  
"You had better watch your mouth, you little pipsqueak! 'Cuz someday it's gonna cost you!" With that, Nakameji and the other thieves went trampling away to steal more items. But not before each thief was allowed by Naka to kick Hiei, lying on the floor, at least once.  
  
When they were gone, Hiei turned and stumbled for the thieves camp out. Upon reaching his own tent, he took off his black cloak and bandaged his injuries. His attention was drawn away when he heard a cry. A feminine cry.  
  
'Ugh, that revolting bastard....he's taking advantage of another demon wench...." Hiei drew his katana and began to practice.   
  
"Help me! Please! Hiei!" The fire demon froze when he heard his name called. 'What in the seven hells....?' He threw his cloak back on and went to check it out. The cries led him to a dark tent; inside, it reeked of death and despair. Giant cages were layed out all over the floor, all of them empty except for one. Hiei knelt in front of the cage and peered inside; what he saw shocked him.   
  
A young woman sat motionless inside the cage, her head down. A veil hid her eyes but not her shoulder length violet hair. She was unusually dressed in a white gown, adorned with pearls and beads. Hiei precautiously stuck his katana (still in the scabbard) through the bars and poked her. She didn't stir; the scabbard hit her shoulder again.   
  
Suddenly she awoke, her head shot up and looked straight ahead. "Who's there?" she asked in a whispery voice. Hiei was at a loss for words, he finally muttered,"I should be asking you that...."  
  
"Are you....one of....them?" The young woman crawled forward on her hands and knees. Startled, Hiei moved a step back. "No....you don't reek like their stench...." She answered her own question and sat back again. The demon put both hands on the bars.   
  
"Who are you....?" He asked her gently.   
  
"I am Yashiku, the prophet demoness." As if reading Hiei's mind she answered on cue. "What am I doing here? I was captured of course, from my village by a pack of thieves. They have kept me locked up here. Please free me...."  
  
The fire demon hesitated. "You say you're a prophet?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can you tell me....where am I from? Who am I? Why do I even exist?!" His questions tumbled out in a hurry. It seemed as though he had waited so long for the answers.   
  
"I will tell you if you retrieve my Kaitou Orb...."  
  
"Where is it...?"   
  
"Nakameji has hidden it in that corner." Yashiku whispered.  
  
"If it's hidden, how do you know it's location?"  
  
"That fool, did he really think I wouldn't know where it was? I'm a prophet...." She snorted. Hiei dashed towards the pile of junk lying in the corner of the tent. A glowing light caught his eye and he started digging. When the orb was uncovered, he saw it had a marvelous soft white glow. Careful not to drop it, he slipped it through the cage to Yashiku. She in turn waved her hands around the orb and began to speak. Funny thing was Hiei still hadn't seen her eyes, concealed under the veil.   
  
"You are Hiei, a half fire demon and half Koorime...."   
  
"Koorime? Isn't that a female only race of apparitions?" Hiei wondered out loud.   
  
"Yes, your mother, Hina had an affair with a fire demon, thus you two were born...."  
  
Hiei pondered this a while. "Then where exactly am I from...?"  
  
"The island....of the Koorime...." Yashiku whispered.   
  
"What else do you see?" Hiei asked. No response came from the prophet; instead she turned the glowing surface of the orb towards the demon. In the globe, a sea green haired woman was crying desperately. She was on some kind of trial and in the background another woman was holding two bundles. The picture suddenly reverted to the other woman slipping a necklace into a bandaged bundle and then dropping it off a cliff, all to the dismay of the first woman. The image faded away gently like the leaves at the sight of autumn.  
  
Hiei was silent. 'So....is that how my life was? Abandoned? Thrown literally off a cliff? What was to become of me? Hey...wait a...!'  
  
"You said you two! Two? I have a sibling?!" Hiei practically screamed.   
  
"Shhh....yes, in fact I did say two. Observe...." Yashiku murmured then held up the Kaitou Orb in her pale white hands. An image of a younger looking version of Hina showed up. The prophet whispered one word. "Yukina...."  
  
"Yukina...?" The demon repeated while watching the young girl on the globe frolick in the snow with her bird friends. Hiei's heart melted like ice. 'I...have a sister! I'm not all alone in this cold, harsh world after all.....Yukina....'  
  
"My sister....she's a Koorime right?" Hiei asked uncertainly. Yashiku paused for a moment before answering.   
  
"Yes....the island granted her permission to stay...."   
  
"Is she there now?!"   
  
Again, the prophet demoness hesitated before responding. "No, it appears she left the island not long ago to go search....for her missing brother...." Hiei's heart jumped at these words.  
  
"Yashiku....tell me! Where is Yukina right now?" The demon rattled the bars on the cage impatiently. Yashiku looked up, appearing to gaze directly at Hiei.   
  
"If you free me from this wretched prison, I shall tell you...." She said softly. Hiei grabbed his katana and almost ripped the cage apart when he slashed it into pieces, making quick work of the crate. The prophet didn't move from her spot however.   
  
"Yukina....she is...." Before she could answer, a loud roar echoed through the tent.   
  
"HIEI!!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING???!!!" Nakameji's cruel voice sliced the air. Sunlight suddenly flooded the small tent and Hiei blinked in surprise, gawking at the open light pouring in. The thief leader stood at the opening, his massive form blocking the entire gap. Yashiku sniffed the air then started trembling violently.   
  
"You....you freed the wench?!" Nakameji growled. Hiei stood up and stepped in front of the prophet protectively. The thief laughed, his evil chuckle echoing around the small tent. "You, Hiei, the runt of the gang, is going to protect this witch?" A hand touched the fire demon's shoulder; Hiei whirled around to find Yashiku on her knees behind him.  
  
"Don't....don't mess with him...." The girl warned softly. "He killed my father who tried to stop him from capturing me...." Never the less, Hiei faced Nakameji, set determination showing on his young face.   
  
"Oh ho! Shrimpy wants to mess with the big boys, now does he?" Nakameji sneered, a sick smile on his ugly face. He sprinted forward and shoved his foot into Hiei's stomach. The fire demon doubled over and choked up blood. He struggled to get to his feet, clutching his bruised abdomen. Not being able to take anymore, Hiei drew his blade and pointed it at the leader's heart.   
  
"DAMN YOU, BASTARD! I'm sick of you calling me names, treating me like trash! I deserve more respect than you ever would, you ugly piece of shit!" Hiei yelled furiously.   
  
"WHAT?! After I took you in and just about raised you, this is how you repay me?!!!" The thief bellowed angrily. Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously to crimson slits.   
  
"I'll show you repayment!!!" Hiei darted forward and using his speed, began slashing Nakameji all over his body. Blood spurted from various wounds but Nakameji seem to read Hiei's moves. Finally he hit Hiei when the fire youkai was leaping forward; the leader swung his hand and caught the bruised young demon in the stomach again. Hiei's eyes went wide as he flew backward, smashing into a large wooden crate.   
  
Naka used this oppurtunity to grab Yashiku by the neck, who surprisingly had been still sitting inside the ruined cage.   
  
"Ahhhhh...." The prophet shrieked, her voice being cut off as she was suffocated. Nakameji held the girl up in the air by one hand as she desperately tried to free herself by beating her small fists against the leader's abnormally muscular arm. Hiei saw what was happening. The thought 'NO!!! He's killing my one chance at finding out where Yukina is!' ran across his mind.  
  
Hiei picked himself up off the floor and staggered towards the choking girl. At this point, Yashiku was tugging uselessly at the thief's fist.   
  
"Stop! Let her go! She's has nothing to do with this!" Hiei cried out, attempting to distract the lout. Ignoring Hiei, Nakameji cackled insanely, his fist wrapping around the prophet's neck, tighter and tighter. "Stop!!!!!"   
  
Adrenaline rushed through Hiei's veins, giving him blood, giving him energy. He quickly grabbed the handle of his sword and rushed at Naka, swing his blade expertly. Too late.....  
  
The young demon heard a crack and saw Yashiku dangling lifelessly from Nakameji's bulky hand, bright red blood dripping from her mouth down her chin. She was dead, her neck snapped like a twig by the thief's brute strength. Images of Yukina flashed across Hiei's mind as he screamed,"No!!! Damn it!!!"  
  
His feet turned to wings as Hiei leapt up into the air, right in front of Nakameji's face. He saw Naka's mouth dropping open in shock, in surprise the 'runt' of the group is attacking the leader. With a demon cry, Hiei slashed 10 times, hacking the thief into pieces, his katana only a silver flash. Blood fell like a waterfall as the parts of the once leader of the thieves dropped to the floor.   
  
Having finshed off his enemy, the fire demon rushed to the prophet's side. "Yashiku?" Hiei asked timidly, looking into her face. Even though he knew it was too late, that Yashiku was already dead, Hiei still had to check. "Yashiku...? You still haven't told me....where Yukina is...." The girl didn't arouse. Hiei's crimson eyes darted around and settled on the white veil.  
  
Despite himself, Hiei lifted the cloth covering the girl's eyes. She had lifeless amethyst eyes; Hiei expected her to blink at any moment. He studied her lifeless eyes, pondering why they looked so different from other eyes. 'Of course!' The demon gazed at the violet eyes; the unusual thing Hiei figured out was that the eyes were blank. Just deep purple....  
  
'That explains it....Yashiku.....was blind....' Hiei figured out. Sounds of footsteps interrupted his thinking as the other theives entered the tent. "Oh it's you, short stuff. Where's boss?" One of them asked. Hiei pointed at the brown lumps of flesh, blood and bone on the floor. The others grew silent; most of them paled too. "You....you couldn't have....Nakameji...?" One stuttered.   
  
Hiei mocked them, laughing harshly. "That's what Ugly there said to me before. Now look where he's at...." The thieves as cowardly as they were, turned and ran for their lives. Hiei watched them dash off into the horizon.  
  
Since he was young and didn't know what to do with Yashiku's dead body on his hands, he left it there and went outside. Hiei inhaled in the chilly air and gazed up at the sun. His mind drifted again to Yukina. She was an ice apparition, meaning she couldn't attack and defend herself. Before disappearing into the shadows of a forest, the demon made a vow.   
  
"Little sister....wait for me....I WILL find you. I will be the one....to protect you. That....is MY destiny...."   
  
*Finished! Enjoyed it? Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks so much for reading! 


	2. Kurama: Love and Despair

Disclaimer: YYH is not mine....(it will be soon mind you!) J/K! ^__^  
  
*All the stories in this fic will occur about the same time....like all these events are happening at the same time just to different characters. Make sense? I have a lot of ideas for stories....it's crazy. Well, anywayz today's story is about Kurama and Youko. Thanks so much to reviewers from last chapter! Please enjoy, read and review too!  
  
*Chapter 2 - Kurama: Love and Despair*  
  
The overall feeling was depressing; misery hung in the air. Shiori Minamino (A/N: Kurama's human mother) stood at the front of the procession hiding from the pouring rain under a black umbrella. Her own stream of tears joined the drops of water that fell from the sky. Beside her, a red haired 7 year old boy stood there, a blank expression on his face.   
  
'Doushite? Why is she crying? It's just a human....' Shuuichi fidgeted uncomfortably in his black mourning suit Shiori asked him to wear. He glanced at a rectangular box, covered with wilted bouquets of flowers and in the middle, a single solitary picture of a laughing man. His 'father'. Shuuichi shuddered at that thought. 'No. His human body's father....'   
  
They were at his funeral. Shuuichi remembered the evening before, the look upon Shiori's face when Ichiro (Kurama's father) collapsed in a heap on the floor. Bits and pieces arose from the memory. Paramedics rushing about, Ichiro strapped into a stretcher, the ambulance's loud siren piercing the night....  
  
"....and let this man, Ichiro Minamino, rest in your peace...." The person speaking finished. Rows and rows of chairs were filled with people in black, crying, mourning, sitting in disbelief that such a healthy man could die suddenly of no cause. Doctors were still confused as to what caused Ichiro's death. Finally the procession was over.   
  
As Shuuichi stood in silence, the other people who attended the funeral came up to Shiori and offered their condolences. Shiori thanked them, tears running down her face still. Shuuichi couldn't take it anymore; he turn and ran down the aisle. Cries of "Shuuichi! Shuuichi!" rose to his ears but he ignored them as his feet pounded the puddles, splashing water everywhere.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
~2 Years Later~  
  
Kurama slammed the door as he yelled,"I'm home!"   
  
"Ah, Shuuichi, I've made some cookies. Come into the kitchen and have some?" Shiori stepped out of the kitchen, apron on and spatula into one hand.   
  
"No thanks. I have homework...." Kurama threw off his shoes and ran up the stairs to his room. A loud bam was heard as he slammed the door to his own room. Down in the kitchen, Shiori sighed unhappily. 'Shuuichi has always been like this. Isolating everyone....'  
  
After half an hour passed, Kurama came back and walked into the kitchen. "Do we have any canola oil? I need it for a science project." Shiori was at the sink, washing dishes.   
  
"Yes, dear. It's in the top cabinet." Kurama moved a chair to the cabinet and clambered on top of it. "Shuuichi, honey? Do you want me to get that for you?"  
  
"No. I'm fine...!" He spotted the oil and struggled to reach it far in the back. He grabbed it and leaped off the chair neatly. "Thanks." he replied and left. Only to enter again some time later to put the oil back. The chair was in place as Shuuichi again struggled to put it back. The chair was rocking violently and suddenly...it toppled.   
  
The shock of the moment paralyzed Kurama; he heard his mother calling his name,"Shuuichi!!!". Felt the force of gravity bringing him down, wanting to snap his back....  
  
Then he heard the sounds of dishes breaking, shattering into pieces. He prepared himself for the impact of falling on the floor. But it never came; instead he landed on something soft and warm. "Shuuichi....are you okay?" Shiori forced herself to smile despite her pain. Kurama looked down at the thing holding him and saw blood....bright red blood dripping from his mother's arms. The sudden rush of it all....his mother scarring herself permanently to save him, her cold little boy who ignored her....flew to Kurama's head as he clung to Shiori tightly.  
  
"Mother? Mother!" was the only thing Kurama could utter. "Mother...? You stay still, I'll call the ambulance!" Shuuichi didn't want to leave her, vulnerable and defenseless but what could he do? As fast as his little legs could carry him, he sprinted to the phone and called the paramedics. He returned as quickly as he could to his mother. Her eyes were closed but they opened when she heard him.   
  
"Shuuichi....? Are you okay, my son?" Shiori asked weakly. Kurama's response was to hug her firmly, replying,"Yes, mom. Thank you...."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
~4 years later when Shuuichi is 13~  
  
"Hey, Shuuichi! Wanna come hang out after school?!" Misa, one of Kurama's friends, yelled.   
  
"Sorry, Misa. I'm busy today. Perhaps you can ask someone else?" Kurama responded, waving goodbye. After walking around, Kurama found himself at home. He entered and found his mother resting while drinking tea.   
  
"How was your day, Shuuichi?" Shiori greeted her son when he came in.   
  
"It was good. How was yours?" Kurama dropped his schoolbag on the floor and went to join his mother.  
  
"Fine. The boss let me off work early today...." Shiori replied, pouring another cup of tea. The two were just exchanging casual conversation until Shiori started coughing.  
  
"*Cough cough* I think I'm...*cough*...catching a cold. *Cough cough*" Shiori stammered between coughs. Kurama laid a hand on his mother's forehead.  
  
"Mother! Your temperature is increasing greatly!" Kurama exclaimed. A week passed and Shiori's condition still didn't inprove. After consulting the doctor, mother and son both found out Shiori had a deadly illness. The doctor ordered her to stay in the hospital.   
  
"Shuuichi....you shouldn't worry about me. *cough* I'll be fine....go home and rest. *cough cough*" Shiori said to Kurama, who visited her constantly.   
  
"I'm okay...! Try and get better....here I'll peel an apple for you, mother...."  
  
*Gomen, it's kinda short but other stories will be in other chapters! Again thanks so much to reviewers! Your comments mean a lot to me! Thanks for reading and please review! 


	3. Yusuke: Falling

Disclaimer: ...^^; not mine......  
  
*Hey! My birthday just passed not long ago so I got some new manga and anime! I'm so happy! Just 2 more weeks 'til Christmas, yay! I would like to thank reviewers! You guys rock; enjoy and please review!  
  
*Chapter 3 - Yusuke: Falling*  
  
"Hahaha! Look at me, Shibai! I told you I'd make it! Haha!" A seven year old Yusuke was hanging upside down from the top of the playset by his knees. A young classmate stood beneath him, gawking up in surprise.   
  
'Wow, either Yusuke's really brave or he's just plain stupid....' Shibai thought to himself. Despite their friendship, Shibai came up with a cruel plan. "Oh, I think I hear my mommy calling me! Bye bye, Yusuke....I have to go!" With that, Shibai walked away laughing to himself, leaving the future spirit detective suspending upside down in the air.   
  
"H-Hey! Shibai! Get back here, help me down! You jerk, come back here!" Yusuke yelled at the receding figure. But Shibai didn't look back. "Grrrr.....Shibai, you loser!" The little boy shuddered; the temperature was dropping fast and night was arriving soon. This was it; either jump and risk breaking his neck or stay up there and freeze to death. 'Some choice! Some friend!' Yusuke thought angrily. Suddenly his ears perked up as he heard a cry.  
  
"M-Mommy! Mommy, where are you?!" A girl cried for her mother. Yusuke saw a little brown haired figure walking through the playground. "Mommmmmy!" She bawled.   
  
"Hey you! Girl!" Yusuke yelled out at the sniffling child.   
  
"Huh?" She looked up, confused.   
  
"Yeah, you! Help me please?" Yusuke begged.  
  
"W-Why are you up there?" The girl asked innocently.   
  
"My friend left me up here, that stupid jerk! Whatever, just get me down from here! I'm getting dizzy!"   
  
"H-Hold on!" The girl ran off, searching for something to get him down. She found nothing but her jacket lying on the park bench where she left it. She grabbed it and returned to Yusuke. "Can you jump?"  
  
"What! And crack my head in half? No thanks, lady!" Yusuke sniffled; the cold was getting to him.  
  
"No! Jump onto my jacket! It's soft and puffy; it will catch you!" The young girl explained.   
  
Yusuke pondered the decision. 'Let go? Don't let go. Let go? Don't let go.' While he was choosing, his knees couldn't take anymore. Yusuke let go of the bar, plunging to the ground that looked oh-so-far down. "Aughhhh!!!!!" He clenched his teeth, waiting for the hit. Instead Yusuke felt himself landing on something soft.  
  
The boy was sitting on a blue jacket and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes carefully was the girl's concerned face. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks lady." Yusuke picked himself off the ground and brushed the grass from his pants.   
  
"You don't need to call me that. I'm only 7...." The girl held up 7 fingers. "By the way, what's your name?"  
  
"I'm the great Yusuke Urameshi!" He replied in a little boy voice.   
  
"Yusuke...." The girl repeated. The young boy started to leave. "I'm....I'm Keiko! Keiko Yukimura!" She shouted after him, hugging her blue jacket. Yusuke stopped in his tracks and turned back.   
  
"I'll remember that.....um, thanks Keiko....." Yusuke said hesistantly.   
  
"Oh, you're welcome. Bye bye, Yusuke." Keiko waved cutely at him.  
  
"Uh....bye....." He began walking away, his footsteps digging into the dirt ground, leaving an imprint on the floor.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day at school, Yusuke met up with Shibai in the hallway. "You stupid jerk! I can't believe you left me up there!" Shibai was surprised as he spun around, looking at little Yusuke in alarm.   
  
"Yu...Yusuke! Wat's up, buddy?" Shibai gave Yusuke an extremely uneasy smile.   
  
"Wat's up?! I was! Don't gimme that crap! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Yusuke grabbed the front of Shibai's striped shirt. But at that moment, a teacher poked her head out of her classroom, having heard all the fuss.  
  
"You! Little boy, put him down this instant!" The teacher shrieked in a high, shrilly voice. Yusuke looked at the teacher then turned back to Shibai, throwing him on the ground angrily. He then stomped away huffily.   
  
Upon reaching his own classroom, his teacher screamed at him for being late then punished poor Yusuke by making him stay after school to air out the blackboard erasers. At 3:00, when every other student was happily skipping home, Yusuke was in the school, practically choking on the dust from the erasers.   
  
"Stupid Shibai! Stupid teacher....stupid school.....!" Yusuke muttered while hurrying through the hallway. "Darn! Mom's going to yell at me again....! Grrrr....!" In his haste, he tripped and stumbled into a figure carrying a load of items. "Owwww!!!" Both shouted in unison as they crashed to the floor.   
  
"Watch where you're going, jerk!" Yusuke rubbed his elbow where it had contacted hard with the floor.  
  
"Maybe we wouldn't have fallen if you kept your eyes on the...." The other figure started to say. She stopped abruptly however. A wide smile came across her face as she squealed,"Yusuke!"   
  
"Huh?" Yusuke stared at the other in confusion. She got to her feet and started picking up the items she dropped.   
  
"It's me....Keiko? Remember....? From yesterday?"   
  
"Ohhhhhh, yeah!" Yusuke said, recognizing the brown haired girl. "You go to this school too?"  
  
"Uh huh!" Keiko nodded, still beaming. "Which class are you in?"  
  
Yusuke scratched his head. "Umm....I don't know?" He replied sheepishly. "My teacher's a total witch though....."  
  
"Teachers are only mean if you misbehave. If you do well in class, then you shouldn't have a problem."   
  
"Whatever." He responded bluntly.   
  
"Well, I've got to go deliver these to my art teacher. I'll see you around school, 'kay?" Keiko picked up the last of her stuff then walked towards the opposite direction in which Yusuke was going to go. He watched her go around the corner.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
***One Year Later***  
  
"Isn't it so awesome we're in the same class this year, Yu-chan?" Keiko smiled.   
  
"Will you leave me alone?! And stop calling me Yu-chan! I have a name and it's Yusuke so use it! Haha! Get it?! YUSuke, USE it? Haha!" Yusuke laughed manically.   
  
"Umm, ok....whatever you say...." Keiko backed away slowly and shot him a look that obviously meant she thought he was crazy.  
  
"Ok, class! Settle down, school has started!" The teacher commanded. "Tomorrow, there's the trip to Chizake River. Have you all turned in your permission slips?"  
  
"Here's mine." Sensei looked up and saw Yusuke standing in front of her, clutching a crumpled up slip of paper. She snatched it from his little hand.  
  
"Yusuke! Why is your form in so late?!" Sensei demanded crossly.  
  
" 'Cause my mum went on a drinking binge for 3 days straight and I couldn't get her to sign it 'til last night." Yusuke gave the teacher a so-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it look. She sighed then stuffed the paper into an envelope. The little boy sat back down in his seat.  
  
"Since tomorrow we are going to Chizake River we will learn some things about it. The Chizake Kawa was a famous site for...." The sensei droned on.  
  
Yusuke yawned widely, disinterest already on his mind. 'It's gonna be a long day...."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Wowwwww...." Keiko breathed. "The river's beautiful!" She wasn't exaggerating; the river water was crystal clear and sunlight danced acorss the surface, making it gleam and sparkle. The children knelt down on the bank and, despite their teacher's nagging, took a long drink of the refreshingly cool water.   
  
Yusuke, mischievous as usual, dunked Shibai's head into the cold water. Now Shibai wished he had never played that prank on Yusuke; he had been taking every chance in the past year to humiliate Shibai as revenge.  
  
"Hey, Keiko! Guess what?!" Yusuke yelled at his friend.  
  
"What, Yusuke? Huh?" Keiko peered around in surprise when she didn't see Yusuke anywhere. Suddenly she felt the back of her skirt being lifted for a second. "Arghhhhh!" She growled, spinning around furiously, her hand following her.  
  
"Yusuke, you perverted brat!" Keiko shrieked angrily, her hand contacting with a certain boy's jaw.  
  
"Oof!" Yusuke groaned as he hit the river bank. Keiko began beating him repeatedly with her fists. "Ah! Oof! Ergh!" Yusuke threw his arms up to block against her onslaught. A split second later, he was gone, running as fast as he possibly could away from the enraged girl.  
  
"Yusuke, I'm not done with you yet! Get back here, you jerk!" Keiko cried out as she got to her feet and started chasing him. Yusuke only made a face back at her, still not stopping for an instant. To his surprise however, the persuing girl paused in her tracks; her eyes went wide as she pointed and screamed," Watch out! The river...!"  
  
It was too late; Yusuke stumbled over an unseen rock and went tumbling down the bank, landing in the cold river with a loud splash. Faint cries of "Ahhh! Save him!" were the last thing he heard as his head went under.  
  
The water was colder than anything Yusuke had ever experience before; it prickled his skin, bit at his stinging face and soaked through his uniform. The boy's lungs froze up, unabling him to draw a breath. Despite the thrashing and flinging of his arms, the melodramatic kid knew this was the end.  
  
Numb ran through his body so that he couldn't even feel himself being lifted out of the water until he blinked the freezing water from his eyes. A concerned face swam before Yusuke's eyes.  
  
"Are you okay, kid?" A masculine voice spoke up. It took a while for Yusuke to respond; he had to cough the river water from his lungs.   
  
"Yeah, I think I'll...live..." Yusuke croaked weakily before passing out on the ground, cried of "Yusuke!" echoing in his head.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The first thing Yusuke saw when he cracked open his eyes was a warm roaring fire. He sat up, groggily rubbing his head. "Ergh... w-where am I?" He uttered outloud.  
  
"Yer in my house, kid. Damn good I hear yer lil classmates screaming othawise ya might've drown..." The same voice from before spoke again.  
  
Yusuke looked around and noticed he was in a homey cabin. "Yusuke! Thank goodness you're alright!" His teacher rushed out and layed a hand on the boy's forehead. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Huh? Like a fish, ugh...." Yusuke replied, wanting to lay back down.  
  
"Oh my! Your forehead feels warm; let's get you back home to your mother. Everyone else is already waiting on the bus." Sensei grabbed Yusuke's hand and tugged him off the couch he had been resting on. She then directed him to the location of the bus. Near the doorway, the teacher stopped to look back at the man in the cabin. "Thank you for saving him, Mr. Iyasa."  
  
"My pleasure." The brown haired man replied.  
  
On the bus ride back, Yusuke sat sniffling and shivering on the last seat. He was still freezing despite his 4 layers of clothing and an extra blanket covering him. Without warning, he felt someone plop down on the seat next to him.  
  
"What do you want....?" The boy started to say until he realized it was Keiko. "Ah, Keiko! Uh....er...." To be quite honest, Yusuke really didn't know what to say. But the girl simply threw down her own jacket, the same one from the day they met, onto Yusuke, it serving as another blanket. Yusuke stared at her in awe. "Th-thanks...."  
  
Keiko's only response was to look out the window. Finally she spoke up, "You know, Yusuke, today I was so worried..." Yusuke looked at her questioningly. "When you went under, the moment your head disappeared below the surface, I...I couldn't think straight; the only thing I thought of was how you almost got erased from my life." Keiko turned red upon saying this, not bothering to mention that when Yusuke almost drowned, she felt as if her heart was being crushed.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Atsuko, Yusuke's mother, sat on the floor near her son's bed, shaking her head in disbelief. "My boy....the idiot." Keiko, sitting beside Yusuke too, sniffed loudly. Atsuko looked over at her sympathetically. "Aww, Keiko don't worry. It's getting late, you should go home." The young girl shook her head violently.  
  
"Nuh-uh. Not until his fever goes down. It's my fault he fell in the river." Keiko whimpered.  
  
"No, it's not!" Atsuko argued. "He fell over his own fat feet running away from you after he flipped your skirt. And it serves you right, you klutz!" She yelled at her bed-ridden son.  
  
"Huh! Some comfort you are, mother dear!" Yusuke accused Atsuko irritably.  
  
"Oh, he'll be fine by tomorrow, you'll see." Atsuko reassured Keiko as the young girl headed home.  
  
The next day, Yusuke was up and healthy. Well, not exactly; his nose was runny, his forehead sweaty, his face clammy, you get the point. "Yusuke! Are you sure about this?!" Atsuko asked. "You're still burning up! Usually when any reason to skip school comes your way, you grab it. Why not today?"  
  
Because..." Yusuke replied, walking out the door, "...if i stayed home...she'd stop by, like yesterday. And I don't wanna see...that look on her face again."  
  
When he got outside, Keiko was standing near the door. As soon as she saw him, her dismal face lit up with delight. "Yo." Yusuke greeted her.  
  
"Yusuke! You're up! And you're feeling better?!" The girl squealed.  
  
"You bet! Good as new." Yusuke laughed, his snot dripping down his nose.  
  
Keiko turned away as she replied haughtily, "Good. Then I won't WASTE any more time worrying." Unknowingly to her, Yusuke made a face of disgust as he threatened to slime her with his snot from behind. Atsuko watched as they walked away to school, thinking, 'Oh, Yusuke...she cares for you more than she lets on. I think you do too, son...."  
  
*^_^ Finished! Please review and tell me what you think! Oh yeah, at the last part I took the conversation from the manga so don't sue! (I'm broke (-_-) Oh well, hope you guys enjoyed it; review! 


	4. Hiei: Koorime Tears

Disclaimer: ;_; YYH is not mine except for the rhyming riddle (hehe I made that up myself)....Merry Christmas! ^.^ (Where'd that come from?)  
  
*Hello readers! This is about Hiei again and his journey after his encounter with the thieves in chapter 1. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I look, there is barely or no information about Kuwabara's past childhood. -.- If I do find some shred of info, I will write and post a chapter about it. Anyway, I started a live journal on livejournal.com! Yay! (Totally irrelevant ^^;) With that done, let's get on with the chapter! I would like to give a special thanks to Godrina-of-the-shadows (thanks for the plushies ^_~) and to Byakugan! I'm glad to hear you enjoy my fic; thanks again! New readers, please review! I luv them, kk enough talk. Enjoy this chapter....(it's a bit sad in my opinion)  
  
*******Chapter 4 - Hiei: Koorime Tears (Hiruseki)*******  
  
'Hn, where is it? That rambling old fool hinted it was somewhere around here....' A dark figure pondered this question before disappearing into a black forest like a shadow.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
'If only I could find it....find them! The Koorime....the answers....' Hiei sat atop a rock near a river (why am I always writing about rivers? ^^;) gazing up at the endless sky. 'Why me? Why out of all the demons did Kami-sama choose me?! Why....?' For days now, Hiei had wandered all over Makai, searching for anything, any shred of hope at all to rediscover his past. And what had turned up? A babbling old demon by the name of Kashikoi.   
  
He had claimed to know of the ice apparition's forbidden island. By the only valuable detail Hiei learned from the demon was a riddle.   
  
"*Iced tears shall fall from the crimson sky~  
  
*when Makai's sun sets into place~  
  
*With crystal raindrops the Koorime cry~  
  
*the island shall arise and show its face....~"  
  
Hiei recited outloud.  
  
"Arghhhhh!" The fire demon growled. "It doesn't make any sense!" He laid down onto the river bank and glanced up at the red sky. 'Will I ever find out...? About my past...? I doubt it...' Hiei heaved a heavy sigh. Suddenly his eyes widened and raised up to the sky. "...from the crimson sky..." A part of the clue echoed in Hiei's head. He sat straight up.  
  
"The crimson sky...?" Hiei was baffled. "What's going on?!" His eyes then caught sight of the topaz sun dipping low in the ruby sky. "...when Makai's sun sets into place..." The demon repeated. He raised his face towards the heavens, closing his eyes...felt drops of wetness landing gently...  
  
"...crystal raindrops the Koorime cry...no..." The young demon corrected himself. "...iced tears shall fall...from the crimson sky...iced tears? Rain...." Hiei whispered.   
  
"W-When Makai's sun sets...into place..." The youkai continued, feeling an odd twinge of unfamiliar nervousness. "W-With crystal raindrops the Koorime cry..." As expected by the young demon, several small pearls cascaded down from beyond the clouds, appearing as tiny twinkling lights. He crept cautiously towards the sparkling pearls and being careful not to touch them, observed the precious round jewels closely.  
  
'Cloudy white color, a tinge of blue...these must be some of those rare stones Nakameji mentioned...' Hiei remembered an encounter with the late thieves leader.  
  
-*-*-*-*-*-***Flash*back***-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
"Hehehe! We got ourselves a big haul this time!" Nakameji chuckled grotesquely. (To find out more info about Nakameji and the theives, check out Chapter 1! [^^;] Cheese here will guide you....isn't he cute?!) The other thieves looked greedily at the brown sack the leader clutched in his rough hands.   
  
"Ano (it sounded cute like something little Hiei would say ^-^)....what is that?" Young Hiei asked curiously, pointing at the round beads glowing faintly inside the crude bag. The thieves stiffened all at once and promptly replied the little demon with grunts of "Nothing! Get lost, you twerp..." "This doesn't concern you, little runt!" "Get outta here, ya lil' nosy weakling..."  
  
Nakameji boomed out, "Idiot boy, you better get out of my sight or I'll...." Hiei didn't stick around to hear the rest; he turned and quickly darted away, hearing the fellow thieves jeering and laughing after him. Retreating to his favorite hideout, a lonely forlorn tree, the young demon questioned his existence and destiny once more....  
  
After the evening meal, Nakameji and his gang got drunk....like always. One of the wasted drunk thieves slung his arm around the disgusted Hiei, slurring,"H-Hey there, cutie. You've got pretty green hair...lemme touch it..." The young demon shoved his elbow into the drunk's face, rendering him unconscious before stomping away, obviously irritated.  
  
"Wassa matta, Hiei...? Too grown up to be talking with all da big boys....eh? Eh?!" Nakameji taunted the fire demon drunkedly. Hiei's response was to fling a clod of dirt into the leader's face. Naka laughed hysterically, yelling,"Wimpy! Wee wimpy weakling Hiei! Hahaha...."  
  
The young demon chose wisely to ignore the brute and flung himself under a tree, a good distance away from the cruel thieves. His eyes caught a quick glimpse of a sparkle in the bark. Hiei carefully plucked the item out using the tip of his trusted katana. It was the mysterious stone Nakameji had shunned him from before. As he held the delicate treasure in his hands, the young demon marveled at its beauty. Up close, it was even more beautiful; the shiny surface reflected its faint azure glow despite the lack of sunlight and the overall aspect of holding such a rare item seemed ethereal to Hiei.   
  
As he cradled the treasure, the fire demon suddenly heard the loud rumbling of the thieves' footsteps, meaning the gang had finally sobered up. Shoving the pearl back into its hiding place in the tree, Hiei leapt back up into the veil of the dense leaves, awaiting the passing of the gang with baited breath. The thieves, delighted in their find, talked brashly. "Rare jewel, that Hiruseki! Found it, we did, a lucky, lucky find!" "But where did it come from?"   
  
"I heard a rumor ice apparitions cry these stones!" A thief piped up.   
  
"Nahh, no way!" Another argued. "I heard they were worthless, good for nothings just created to take up space!" The entire gang laughed loudly at the rude remark. Hiei felt a flare of rage rise up although he had no clue why; the outburst of anger disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived.   
  
As their stomps died away, Hiei returned to the bark, only to discover the jewel was missing. 'Dammit! They must've taken it with them!' Hiei thought angrily, crying unseen, unshed tears. (A/N: The last sentence means that Hiei was extremely disappointed...;_; Poor youkai...)  
  
-*-*-*-*-*-***Flash*back*End***-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
Hiei crawled closer yet to the shiny stones and scooped one up into his hands. He slipped it into the folds of his cloak.  
  
"Hiru...seki...hiruseki...hiruseki..." A quiet voice came from the red sky. It was a whispery feminine tone with a sad lilting melody; it shrouded Hiei in unfamiliar warmth.   
  
"Hiru...seki...?" The young demon stuttered. A column of bright azure light fell to the ground, surrounding Hiei, who winced and closed his eyes from the blinding light. When he opened his eyes, the demon discovered he was near the edge of an island; snow and ice flurried around in the air and on the ground. Hiei peered over the edge, seeing nothing but silent black darkness.  
  
"You...! Who are you?!" A woman cried. The demon, startled by the sudden shout, nearly fell over the edge. He picked himself up, brushed the snow off his black cloak and studied this new arrival. The woman had long blue hair tied back in a neat ponytail and wore a bright blue kimono. Her sapphire eyes were suspicious as she took a step towards Hiei. "Who are you? Identify yourself!" The startled fire demon in return stepped forward.  
  
"Y-Yukina?" He whispered hopefully. The lady's azure eyes went wide as she recognized him. The exiled...the abandoned...  
  
"No....the Forbidden Child..." She said in utter shock.   
  
'Forbidden child...?' Hiei thought. "W-Where is Yukina?! Who are you?! Why! Forbidden Child?!" Hiei suddenly bursted out, his pain, his loneliness tumbling out with these words.   
  
"...I am Rui...quick! Leave this island before the Elders find you!" The woman warned.  
  
"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL I GET SOME ANSWERS! Do you know what I've been through, wench?! Searching for the reason of my soul existence ever since I was put on this damned world?!" Hiei shouted angrily, his hand flying to the hilt of his katana. The lady only looked at the floor with a blank expression but Hiei saw the sadness and misery she bore as well. The demon softened.  
  
"Tell me...please! Onegai...who am I?!" Hiei begged, falling to his knees; he was desperate and saw his threat wasn't working. Rui's head snapped up as she grabbed the young demon's arm.  
  
"Please...! No, get up! Get up!" The woman pleaded, wrenching him to his feet and dragging him behind her. She led him to a mountain of rocks where a cave was etched into. Rui crawled through the hole, motioning for Hiei to follow her. Puzzled, the demon trailed her and when they both had gone a considerable distance into the heart of the cave, Rui stopped and began poking the ceiling. A rock fell down, making a hole for light to get through. The woman sat back against the rock wall and gestured for Hiei to move closer.   
  
"Do not shout or scream, the Elders will find you and execute you..." Rui whispered. Hiei nodded early in reply. "Ok then, what do you wish to know?"  
  
"I know my mother had an affair with a fire demon and that is...forbidden...wait. Did you personally know my mother?" Hiei questioned.  
  
"Hina, your mother, was my most trusted childhood companion and friend. In return, I was hers." Rui paused and tucked a loose strand of her long hair behind her ear. "In case you haven't figured out yet, I, your mother, your sister, we are all ice apparitions, maidens of ice, the Koorime in other words. Our female dominant race produce only girls therefore the Elders, a group of the oldest, wisest apparitions, suffixed that into a law. That a Koorime could only and was limited to producing female offspring...."  
  
Hiei listened silently the entire Rui spoke. He interrupted her before she finished the last sentence though. "My mother...she defied that rule, didn't she?" The question was more of a statement.   
  
"Yes, Hina went wandering off the island one day and came across a powerful fire demon named Mahiro. When she returned, Hina was pregnant with twins. You were the first male child to be born on this cursed island."  
  
"...and what about Yukina?" Hiei asked, pulling his dark cloak tighter around him. Truth be told, the cave was freezing and the fire demon was shivering; however Rui did not seem to mind the temperature.  
  
"She being female allowed the Elders to let her stay." Hiei breathed a sigh of relief. "But you...you were dubbed the Forbidden Child and...." Rui hesistated.   
  
"And what?" Hiei demanded, his curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
Rui looked away as she replied,"You were thrown off the island, abandoned and destined to die on Makai...."  
  
"Hn....I see...." His crimson eyes showed what the young demon could not speak. Betrayal, anger, misery, denial.... The two sat in silence. "Then where is my mother now?" Hiei asked, although he had a feeling he knew the answer already.  
  
Rui's grief showed plainly on her face as she responded,"Angry at the world, Hina became miserable when you were abandoned. Before you were dropped, she pleaded to join you. 'Let me stay with my baby...he'll be killed in Makai!' She cried; the Elders paid no heed to her desperate begging. Three years later, everyone thought Hina had gotten over it; but no, she was revisited by the nightmare that had haunted her dreams. In the end, your mother....took an icicle to her heart..." The memory of that tragic day swam up to the surface of Rui's mind.  
  
-*-*-*-*-*-***Flash*back***-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
"Hina...? Hina, I'm coming in..." Rui called, just before entering her friend's house.  
  
"Aunt Rui!" Young Yukina squealed, stumbling towards the other apparition.   
  
"Whoa there, Yukina. How are you, sweetheart?" Rui hugged the girl. Hina came out from the nearest room and greeted her friend.  
  
"Rui! How nice to see you." Hina smiled.  
  
"Oh, I just got back and thought I'd drop by?" Rui beamed in return. Yukina looked back and forth from her mother to her friend.  
  
"Take care of Yukina, would you? She's a handful...." Hina turned and walked into the other room.  
  
"No problem. Yukina, want to play with Auntie?" Rui scooped up the joyful girl.   
  
"Yeah, yeah!" Yukina cried in delight, clapping her little hands. "Wheeeee!" She exclaimed. Rui heard noises coming from the other room. 'Hina must be preparing something.' The koorime thought, continuing to babysit the younger girl. Suddenly, she heard a loud thud in the other room.  
  
"Hina? Daijobu?" The concerned koorime called.  
  
"Huh? Yeah, I just felt faint; it's odd, I'm having a brain blitz here. I think I'm going to go lie down for a while..." came the answer. After 10 minutes, Rui's ears prickled upon hearing a detectable crash.  
  
"Hina? What's going on?" Rui shouted. There was no answer; as a friend, the ice apparition got worried. 'Wait a minute...brain blitz?! Oh no, she couldn't have....!' Rui panicked, setting down Yukina and rushing to the room. "Hinaaaa!" Rui screamed, unaware that little confused Yukina was trailing after her. The door was closed; Rui threw it open and ran into the room. Her heart froze.   
  
Hina lay on the floor on her back, motionless. A bloody foot long icicle was poked through where her heart was; Hina's beautiful blue eyes were dull. Rui darted to her friend's side, falling down beside her.  
  
"Hina? Hina! No, Hina! Speak to me, no, Hina!" Rui cried, tears running down her face, hitting the floor as hardened stones. Upon hearing the shrieks, Hina's eyes focused onto the weeping Koorime next to her, wincing as she clutched Rui's hands in her own.  
  
"Ru...i..." Hina whispered painfully.  
  
"Hina! Don't speak...I'll get help!" Rui was about to stand up when Hina stopped her.  
  
"No! I won't make it...just listen...please take care of Yukina for...me..." Despite her severe injury, Hina smiled weakly. "I know you will do a good job. Please...don't cry...you will always b-be my best friend...forever. We promised, didn't we...?" Hina coughed, her supply of oxygen was being cut off. She choked up blood, it ran down her pale chin. "G-Good bye...Rui..." With those last words, Hina fell back, lifeless again.  
  
"Hina! Help!!!" Rui screamed. "Help, help! Somebody, oh Kami-sama, HELP!!!"  
  
"Oi! What's wrong?!" Someone called through.   
  
"Get help! Hina....she's....!" Within a matter of seconds, a crowd of Koorime women were near the doorway, sporting horrified looks upon their flawless faces.  
  
"Auntie...Rui...?" stuttered a voice. In her haste, the ice apparition had forgotten about Yukina. "Is Mommy...okay?" Rui grimaced.  
  
"...yes, dear...your mommy is going to be okay..." She whispered, trying to keep her voice steady.  
  
"But...she's bleeding..." Yukina tiptoed forward and laid a hand on her mother's cold face. "Mommy...?" Rui turned to the horrified Koorime standing in the doorway.  
  
"Bring Yukina away. Take her away from this place, from this room! Go! Bring her away NOW!!!" Rui shrieked. As soon as the girl left the room, she fell over Hina's dead body, weeping uncontrollably.  
  
-*-*-*-*-*-***Flash*back*End***-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
Sudden noise jolted Rui back to the present. "Shhh....someone's coming..." Hiei whispered.  
  
"It's probably the Elders...you have to go...right now!" The two managed to run out of the cave and back to the cliff where they had first met. Before leaving, Hiei had a few more questions.  
  
"Were you the one crying the jewels before?" He demanded. Rui looked taken aback.  
  
"Yes, that was me. I...don't know...they just flowed out..." The apparition bit her lip. "Do you still have it...? Your Hiruseki necklace?"  
  
"...No, it got stolen...how did you know about that?"  
  
"I was the one who bestowed it to you...Hina shed two tears when she was giving birth to you and Yukina. One for you, one for your sister..."  
  
"...who was it? Who was the one who threw me over the island...?" Hiei's fist tightened.  
  
"...I was...the one...I made a pact...to you then. Now that you have your answers, you are free to take revenge upon me for doing such a cruel deed..." Hiei looked at the saddened Koorime with something resembling pity.  
  
"Hn....there are too many deaths already. Yours won't bring me any satisfaction..."  
  
"One more thing before you exit...Yukina left to go look for you not long ago....protect her...make her happy. You are the only family she has now...." Rui had grown fond of the cheerful koorime girl.   
  
"...No...there's still another she can always count on..." Hiei closed his eyes and suddenly jumped off the island, leaving Rui stunned. 'Did he mean...me?' She wondered.   
  
Back on Makai, the young fire demon leapt through the trees, searching. His cloak blew out behind him; Hiei adjusted it and found the Hiruseki stone he had taken before. He clutched it tightly in his fist as he thought of his vow....  
  
*Wooooo! That's the end! Also, Holiday Break has officially started; no school for 2 weeks!!!! I'm expecting to update a lot of my fics these 2 weeks. Anywayz, I hope you guys understood this chapter. Please review! Ok, see you next chapter! 


	5. Shizuru: Betrayed Emotions

Disclaimer: Blood is crimson, spirit gun is azure, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, that's for sure! (haha really I don't own anything except for that rhyming disclaimer ^^; hey I was bored!)  
  
*Hey everyone! Thanks for reviews; they mean a lot to me! This chapter is based on a request and one of my ideas. There's not much info about Shizuru's past in the YYH anime either so this is mostly fictatious. Please enjoy and review!   
  
**Silverchild of the winds - I hope you like this chapter! ^_^ If not, then leave some ideas for a new plot and I will rewrite this!  
  
*******Chapter 5 - Shizuru: Betrayed Emotions*******  
  
"Now Shizuru, be good. I will be back before you know it. And Eiji, please take care of her, she's only seven." The woman patted crying Shizuru then kissed her on the top of her head. In the next room, a blaring noise from the T.V. could be heard.  
  
"M-Mommy, do you have to go?" Shizuru cried, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Mommy has to finish this job deal and then I'll be right back home, ok sweetheart?" Michika straightened up and adjusted her bag resting on her shoulder. "Bye Shizuru. Eiji, watch her!" A faint sound like "Ok!" came from the next room over. The woman opened the front door and was gone.  
  
Shizuru went to go find her dad. Or rather, her step-dad. The young girl remembered her real father had died several years ago when he was shot during a burglary at where he worked. 'He was in that white place, all in white...Daddy had a red hole in his stomach...'  
  
"Mommy, why is Daddy's stomach covered in f-fruit punch?" She had asked. 'A lot of water fell from Mommy's eyes and she covered mine.'   
  
Shizuru walked up to her stepfather. "D-Daddy? Watcha doing?"  
  
"Nothing, just watching T.V. Go play with your dolls or something." came the gruff reply.  
  
"D-Daddy? Where's K-Kazuma?" Shizuru looked expectantly at her stepfather.  
  
"He's with your aunt, that bitch." Eiji cursed.  
  
"Dad? What's a bitch?" The girl asked innocently.  
  
"Nothing! You're annoying me; go get me a beer." Shizuru obediently compiled then went to her room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Older Shizuru's thoughts*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
'That's right, Mother was almost never home. After her second marriage to Eiji when I was 7, Kazuma was always left at my aunt's and I was left at home with him....I hated it.'  
  
'My father loved his beer; he always got drunk when Mom wasn't home. In Mother's eyes, Eiji was a respectful, kind businessman. In mine, my stepfather was a monster...'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*At 9 years old*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Dad! I'm home!" Shizuru called through the house. "Dad?" A short grunt came from the living room. The girl sighed then walked into the kitchen to fix herself a snack. 'I wonder how Kazuma's doing? He's at Aunt Sayaku's so often, it's almost like he lives there."  
  
As Shizuru thought to herself and ate, Eiji came stumbling into the kitchen. He wrenched open the fridge door and pulled out a bottle of beer. 'He's already so drunk...' The young girl thought concernedly.  
  
"Daddy? I don't think you should drink anymore. It's not good for you..." Shizuru timidly spoke up. Eiji's dull eyes focused on the quiet girl as he threw the glass bottle at his stepdaughter. She let out a surprised cry and dodged the flying beer.   
  
"I can do whatever I damn please!" He suddenly yelled at her.  
  
"Yes, but I-I was just worried..." Shizuru replied, scared out of her wits.   
  
"I don't need your concern...!" The stepfather suddenly launched himself at the young girl. He held her down while repeatedly beating Shizuru with his fist. Tears fell from the girl's eyes as she desperately tried to block his attacks. She finally kicked him in the shin; his eyes widened as Eiji fell back in pain and realization.  
  
"Oh my god...!" He whispered in horror, seeing his stepdaughter sitting on the floor, bruises forming on her face, arms and neck. "Oh my god! Sh-Shizuru..." The man reached out towards the young girl; she winced then quickly backed away. "W-What have I done?!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*At 11 years old*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"This is the last time! The last time, ok, Shizu? Then I get promoted and I can stay at home with you and Daddy." Michika kneeled in front of her daughter and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm always thinking of you, even on my business trips, honey. Kazuma's already at Aunt Sayaku's so don't worry about him, ok? Good-bye, sweetheart. See you in a week."  
  
"Bye Mom." Shizuru whispered, biting her lip to will herself not to cry. 'How come whenever Mom goes on a trip, it feels like I'll never see her again?'  
  
"Bye Michika. Have a safe trip." Eiji smiled at his wife. She waved then left. The stepfather automatically went to his room with an explanation of "Shizu, I have lots of paperwork to do so I'll be working in my bedroom. Please don't disturb me, ok?" The girl nodded then flipped the T.V. on to catch her favorite show. After 20 minutes, Shizuru caught sight of a familiar briefcase.  
  
'All his work stuff is in there...should I bring it to him? But he said not to disturb him.' She hesitated. 'I'll bring it to him after this show's over...there's only 10 minutes left anyway.'  
  
After the sitcom ended, the girl clutched the heavy briefcase and brought it to Eiji and Michika's room. "Daddy? You left your case out..." Shizuru's mouth dropped open in shock. Eiji looked like a deer caught in headlights; he was perched on the bed without a shirt, a mystery woman beside him. Shizuru had never seen the lady before; she shrieked while covered up her topless half. 'Daddy... Daddy's cheating on Mommy...he's fooling around with another woman.' Those words exploded in the girl's head as she threw the case on the floor and rushed out.  
  
"Shizuru!" She heard Eiji call after her; she ignored him and ran into her room, shutting and locking the door.  
  
'Oh Mom...' Almost as if on cue, Shizuru heard Michika's trilling voice ring through the house.  
  
"Oh honey! I forgot my purse!" Suddenly, a knock sounded on the outside of Shizu's room door. "Shizu, dear? Are you in there?"  
  
"Mommy!" The door flew open as the girl threw herself into her mother's comforting embrace.  
  
"Hey sweetie pie. Can you believe Mommy? I was halfway to the airport when I realized I had left my...what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Michika brushed Shizuru's brown hair from her face as she wiped away her daughter's tears.   
  
"Oh, huh? I didn't even know I was crying." The girl sniffled. "I was watching a very sad movie." Michika crossed her arms.  
  
"Ok, Shizuru, what really is the matter? I'm your mother, I know you wouldn't cry at things like that." Suddenly, the tears bursted out again.  
  
Oh Mommy!" Shizuru cried while hugging her mother again. "Daddy was....Daddy was getting naked with another lady. Wahhhhh!" There, it was said; the girl looked to see her mother's reaction to the news.  
  
"That bastard!" Michika stormed down the hall to her room and flung the door open. "Ok, Eiji, where's the goddamn bimbo?" Shizuru knowingly covered her ears.   
  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Michika." Eiji stuttered. He sat at his desk, paperwork in front of him. "Why are you back so early, dear?"  
  
"Cut the crap." She growled, shaking her fist. "Where is she?" Shizuru pulled on her mother's arm and pointed at the closet. Michika smiled. "Thanks sweetheart." Closet door open, the same lady fell out. "Shizu, get your stuff. We're leaving."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Michika decided to rent an apartment far away from Eiji's house and live there with her two children. On their way to Sayaku's house to pick up Kazume, Shizuru turned to say something to her mother and was surprised to find her crying. "Mommy?"  
  
"Sorry, dear, I was just thinking about my love life. Seems like I have such bad luck, huh?"  
  
"Mommy..." Shizuru wasn't sure what to say. "Don't worry, Mommy. I love you."  
  
Michika smiled then dried her tears. "Thank you, Shizuru. I love you too....I guess that's all I need..."  
  
*Gomen, it was kinda short but I wrote this before having to help prepare holiday food! Yum, it's kinda late but Happy Holidays! 


End file.
